The number of homicides in Denver is at its lowest in three years, with 62 occurring in 2005, officials said. The year before, there were 94, and 2003 saw 73.

In addition, the clearance rate for murder cases worked by Denver police detectives in 2005 was 75.8 percent, well above the national average of 62.6 percent reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Denver Division Chief Dave Fisher credited dedication of the 18-member homicide unit for the 47 cleared cases, as well as the expertise of the department’s ancillary divisions, such as the crime lab. In addition to the 47 solved cases, he said, officials were “very optimistic” that at least two more cases would soon be cleared.

“It’s an enormous credit to the men and women who take these cases to heart,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a homeless person or a cop killer, they’ve done a tremendous job with every one of them.”

One of the homicides included in the 62 is the case of Denver Detective Donald “Donnie” Young, who allegedly was gunned down May 8 by Raul Gomez-Garcia during a baptismal party. Gomez-Garcia then fled to Mexico and was extradited to Denver last month.

That case is considered cleared since a suspect has been arrested, charged and is headed for court. To qualify as a clearance, all of those criteria must be met, according to the FBI.

Cases can also be cleared by exceptional means, such as the death of the suspect.

In a further breakdown of the total 62, three of the cases were from child abuse, three involved homeless victims, seven were due to domestic violence and nine were gang-related, he said.

The highest number broken out, 28, was in a category called “due to conflict or argument,” Fisher noted, adding the causes of murders were not always clear. “Why do human beings do what they do to one another?” he said. “If you can come up with the answer to that, you will be a Nobel Peace Prize winner.”

Firearms were used in at least 40 of the 62 cases, Fisher said.

The area of Denver with the highest concentration of homicides, he said, was District 6, or central downtown Denver, an area that receives a heavy influx of visitors every day. It had 15 homicides last year.

As far as the reasons for the high clearance rate, one factor is that the homicide unit has added a couple of detectives over the past two years, Fisher said.

In addition, street officers are adept at sealing off crime scenes to preserve crucial evidence, as well as locating witnesses for the detectives, Fisher said.

But mostly, he said, it was due to meticulous work. “All of the details are scrutinized in every case,” Fisher said. “We try to learn everything we can about the suspect and the victims.”

In doing so, he said, homicide detectives often work around the clock, and forgo holidays, vacations and anniversary celebrations until they retire.

“They leave with a heavy heart for the ones they cannot solve,” Fisher said, “and they carry that to their grave with them.”

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